Ringworm is a contagious fungus
infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet (athlete's foot),
or the nails.

People can get Ringworm from:
1) direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet
2) indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person or pet
has touched, or 3) rarely, by contact with soil.

Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection
that can affect the scalp, the body (particularly the groin), the feet, and
the nails. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with worms. The name comes
from the characteristic red ring that can appear on an infected person's skin.
Ringworm is also called Tinea.

What is the infectious agent that
causes Ringworm?

Ringworm is caused by several different
fungus organisms that all belong to a group called "Dermatophytes."
Different Dermatophytes affect different parts of the body and cause the various
types of Ringworm:

Ringworm of the scalp
Ringworm of the body
Ringworm of the foot (athlete's foot)
Ringworm of the nails

Where is Ringworm found?

Ringworm is widespread around the world
and in the United States. The fungus that causes scalp Ringworm lives in humans
and animals. The fungus that causes Ringworm of the body lives in humans,
animals, and soil. The fungi that cause Ringworm of the foot and Ringworm
of the nails live only in humans.

How do people get Ringworm?

Ringworm is spread by either direct
or indirect contact. People can get Ringworm by direct skin-to-skin contact
with an infected person or pet. People can also get Ringworm indirectly by
contact with objects or surfaces that an infected person or pet has touched,
such as hats, combs, brushes, bed linens, stuffed animals, telephones, gym
mats, and shower stalls. In rare cases Ringworm can be spread by contact with
soil.

What are the signs and symptoms
of Ringworm?

Ringworm of the scalp usually begins
as a small pimple that becomes larger, leaving scaly patches of temporary
baldness. Infected hairs become brittle and break off easily. Yellowish crusty
areas sometimes develop.

Ringworm of the body shows up as a
flat, round patch anywhere on the skin except for the scalp and feet. The
groin is a common area of infection (groin Ringworm). As the rash gradually
expands, its center clears to produce a ring. More than one patch might appear,
and the patches can overlap. The area is sometimes itchy.

Ringworm of the foot is also called
athlete's foot. It appears as a scaling or cracking of the skin, especially
between the toes.

Ringworm of the nails causes the affected
nails to become thicker, discolored, and brittle, or to become chalky and
disintegrate.

How soon after exposure do symptoms
appear?

Scalp Ringworm usually appears 10 to
14 days after contact, and Ringworm of the skin 4 to 10 days after contact.
The time between exposure and symptoms isnot known for the other types of
Ringworm.

How is Ringworm diagnosed?

A health-care provider can diagnose
Ringworm by examining the site of infection with special tests.

Who is at risk for Ringworm?

Anyone can get Ringworm. Scalp Ringworm
often strikes young children; outbreaks have been recognized in schools, day-care
centers, and infant nurseries. School athletes are at risk for scalp Ringworm,
Ringworm of the body, and foot Ringworm; there have been outbreaks among high
school wrestling teams. Children with young pets are at increased risk for
Ringworm of the body.

What is the treatment for Ringworm?

Ringworm can be treated with fungus-killing
medicine. The medicine can be in taken in tablet or liquid form by mouth or
as a cream applied directly to the affected area.

What complications can result from
Ringworm?

Lack of or inadequate treatment can
result in an infection that will not clear up.

Is Ringworm an emerging infection?

Although Ringworm is not tracked by
health authorities, infections appear to be increasing steadily, especially
among pre-school and school-age children. Early recognition and treatment
are needed to slow the spread of infection and to prevent re-infection.

How can Ringworm be prevented?

Ringworm is difficult to prevent. The
fungus is very common, and it is contagious even before symptoms appear.

Steps to prevent infection include
the following:

Educate the public, especially parents,
about the risk of Ringworm from infected persons and pets.
Keep common-use areas clean, especially in schools, day-care centers, gyms,
and locker rooms. Disinfect sleeping mats and gym mats after each use.
Do not share clothing, towels, hair brushes, or other personal items.

Infected persons should follow these
steps to keep the infection from spreading:

Complete treatment as instructed, even
after symptoms disappear.
Do not share towels, hats, clothing, or other personal items with others.
Minimize close contact with others until treated.
Make sure the person or animal that was the source of infection gets treated.

Daycare.com would like to thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their contributors for this information in striving to make daycare and childcare a more productive and efficient service.